EQC to Consider Biomass, Wolves, Recycling, Fire Season
The state Environmental Quality Council will meet next week in Helena to consider expanding the use of biomass for energy production in Montana. The council also will hear a report on recycling and updates on the 2009 fire season and the upcoming state wolf hunt.
The council will meet Sept. 10-11, in Room 172 of the State Capitol. The meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. Thursday and 8 a.m. Friday. The public is welcome to attend and will have a chance to comment on the council’s work.
Council staff will present the first installment of a report on expanding the use of biomass, or plant waste, as an energy source. The study was authorized by the passage earlier this year of House Joint Resolution 1. The first installment will include information on existing and proposed biomass projects in Montana, biomass incentives and policies in other states, and federal initiatives and policies related to the use of biomass.
The council also will hear reports from state agencies that it is responsible for monitoring: the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC); Fish, Wildlife, and Parks; and the Department of Environmental Quality. The topics of these reports will include:
removal of gray wolves from the federal Endangered Species Act, related litigation, and the wolf hunting season set to begin this month;
the 2009 fire season;
a Habitat Conservation Plan created by DNRC to conserve habitat for five threatened and endangered species when the agency conducts forestry activities on state land;
issuance of state bonds for land acquisition;
effects of property-tax reappraisal on the state home site and cabin leasing program;
identification of the wildland/urban interface;
financial status of the state Petroleum Tank Release Fund; and
an update on the Superfund program.
Council staff will also present updates on a study of recycling and solid-waste recovery and a study of public access on private land for tourism and recreational activities.
The state Department of Commerce will report on the implementation of the Distressed Wood Products Revolving Loan program created by House Bill 669.
More information about the meeting, including a complete agenda, audio guide, and meeting materials, is available on the council Web page at leg.mt.gov/eqc or by contacting Hope Stockwell, legislative research analyst, at 406-444-1640 or hstockwell@mt.gov.
The meeting will be audio-streamed live on the legislative branch Web site at leg.mt.gov and will be broadcast live over the state public access television network, TVMT. To find the TVMT channel in your area, visit leg.mt.gov/tvmt or call the Legislative Information Office at 406-444-2957.
The EQC is chaired by Rep. Chas Vincent, R-Libby, and is made up of legislators from both parties and chambers, along with a handful of citizens and a representative of the Governor’s Office.
